Butter Cracker Toffee {Easy, Nut-free}

Cracker toffee is amazing. It's so DARNED easy-it's sorta kinda dangerous. And I know you all still are probably thinking about your resolutions but....everything in moderation, ya know? Honestly, I made this toffee over the holidays aaaand you probably could've used it then. But...life happens. So I suggest you make it now, anyway. Or bookmark it for next year! Follow your heart.

My brother-in-law's girlfriend has a nut allergy, so I made this toffee nut-free and really...you don't miss the nuts. The toffee is so buttery and sugary and addictive and then the chocolate gives it that little extra bit of decadence and THEN I made half with salt on top and half without for that sweet and salty combo. Truth=I prefer with the salt. Next time I'd probably do all salt...if it's just for me. I know not everyone feels this way (even though I have totally made myself a salt-on-desserts missionary, going around and bringing people the good word of balancing the sweet with the salty.) Katie (the girlfriend) totally loved them-everyone did! 

And again...I cannot emphasize enough HOW EASY these are. Like...put some crackers on a baking sheet (lined with foil). Boil some butter and sugar. Pour on top of crackers. Bake. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Spread. Let sit. Chill. EAT THE EVER-LOVING CRAP OUT OF THEM. Or ya know...just be good and have 1 or 2. Personally I think that's no way to live, but I'm not here to tell you what to do.

...but seriously...at least eat 5 of them.

{Easy} Salted Praline Pecan Clusters

Look...I'm as Yankee as it gets. No one in my family is from the South or ever has been. I've lived in Ohio and NYC. I'm Italian and Irish. I think the Civil War did in fact end 150+ years ago. I don't like sweet tea.

Buuut sometimes I say y'all. And I love comfort food. And I love pralines.

So...Southerners...can you just like let me sometimes be one of you? In the land of pralines, at least?

That said...I'm 99% sure these are not traditional pralines. I've actually had a few pralines and these have very little in common with them. But...like I said...what do I know? And regardless, this recipe is insanely easy and yields DELICIOUS little pecan caramel-y clusters!

And you know what the best part of these "pralines" is? Ok....well...the best part is the taste.

But do you know the SECOND best part?? You make this recipe by just putting some stuff together and throwing it in the microwave! And...that's mostly it. Then you spoon some of the mixture onto a silpat or wax paper or something and sprinkle it with salt and YOU'RE DONE! This is actually a pretty dangerous situation we're all in now. Because we can have these YUMMALICIOUS lovelies so quickly and so easily. It's bonkers.

And seriously....they're so rich. And salty-sweet. And crunchy. It's like...pecans covered in a hardened salted caramel or butterscotch sauce...sorta. They're good, my friends. SO GOOD. That's all you need to know.

Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed S'mores Brownies

Excuse the messiness of these photos. I'm just trying to show real life here...I mean...s'mores and melty peanut butter cups are messy. Any of you who have children (or remember being children) should be plenty aware of this fact. All things considered I think I did the best that could have been expected. Plus....I mean....messy and gooey looks kinda yummy, ya know?

Now...before I get into the transcendent experience that is eating one of these brownies...I need to give you guys a heads up! I'm going to be out in Texas Wednesday-Monday to go to my brother's graduation from basic training for the airforce. Sooo I'm not going to be able to post this Wednesday or next Monday. I KNOW-I'm sorry! But I figured...at least I'm leaving you with something completely over the top amazing to keep you all satisfied until I get back. So, hopefully these brownies will help me earn your forgiveness. I mean-look at these photos. We're cool.

When I made these delicious brownies I instagrammed them. And was told by one of my husband's coworkers that she needed one. And I thought to myself "These are really rich, and this did make a huge pan of brownies...I could probably share." So I told her I'd send some in with Michael the next day. And apparently she told everyone because I shortly thereafter got a text from him saying, "So I guess I'm bringing dessert tomorrow?"

They were excited :D And I sent the brownies. And they were devoured. But poor Jess (the original coworker who commented) wasn't there the rest of the week and got no brownies! So she's been pouty about it. I can't really blame her. These are DARNED GOOD.

Allow me to e'splain to you these magical brownies. They have a thick and buttery graham cracker crust. Nomnom. Then they have a very dense and very chocolate brownie layer. Mmmhmm. THEN they have peanut butter cups and melty dark chocolate barks layered on top of that. OMIGOSH. And theeen there are toasted marshmallows on top. YESYESFORREALSIESYES.

In summation-these are insanely gooey and decadent and rich and pretty much what dreams are made of. You need them. I need them. We all need them.

Hershey's KISSES Deluxe "Say More"

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Hershey’s KISSES Deluxe. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

For me, memories of family and the holidays are mingled with Hershey's KISSES (the #1 holiday chocolate): holiday themed Hershey's KISSES in the candy dish on Christmas Day at my Grandma's, the creamy little chocolates studded in the centers of the peanut butter blossoms my mom would bake for Santa and for our families, and sneaking the sweet treats to my little brother and cousins as we waited impatiently for dinner. 

As time has passed and we've all grown up...those smaller moments seem to get lost in the shuffle. We don't take as much time to enjoy each other. Get-togethers and game nights and birthday parties have turned into quick texts or facebook posts. Even within my close family, we're beginning to move apart. I moved to NY and, even though I'm back now, my brother is leaving for the airforce after Christmas. And it's so wonderful that we all have the technology to be able to keep in touch but we need to do more. And we need to "Say More"--which is exactly what Hershey's is encouraging us to do. We need to make the most of our time together and really speak with each other in meaningful ways, more than just the usual small talk. Hershey's is sharing videos of people saying more on their social media channels, including this completely adorable video of a family showing their mom how much they care. This holiday season, and beyond, I am vowing to really show the people I love how valuable they are to me. I'm going to spend as much time as possible showing my brother how much he means to me before he leaves. I'm going to make sure my mom knows how much I appreciate all she does. When I see my cousins I'm going to do more than just have a little bit of casual chit-chat, I'm going to find out what's going on in their lives and have a real conversation. And I'm going to take the time to enjoy my husband, to talk to him and spend time with him without our heads buried in our phones or our stares trained to the TV. I'm going to "Say More".

I'm also going to do the unthinkable and share some of the new Hershey's KISSES Deluxe--now that is real love. They're twice the size of original KISSES, creamy, decadent, and they contain a whole roasted hazelnut and tasty little crisps enveloped in layers of chocolate. Delicious, and the perfect way to show someone you care!

And you have the chance to win a Hershey's KISSES Deluxe 75 piece gift box (valued at $35)!

Hershey's KISSES Deluxe Giveaway

*I-C will randomly select fifty winners from all program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes.

Graham Cracker Toffee

I love toffee. It's brown sugar and butter cooked into tasty goodness so...yeah. And this is a crazy easy recipe for it--no candy thermometer needed. All you need is butter, sugar, and graham crackers! (and chocolate to top it because...chocolate is always a good idea.)

You're going to become irrevocably addicted after you make these--just a warning.

Because you get rich, buttery, sweet, delicious delicious toffee. The fresher it is, the tastier. You want to give your kid's teacher a gift? Toffee. You want to get your boyfriend to propose to you? Toffee. You want to make your husband worship you for the supreme goddess* you are? TOFFEE.

*ha....yeah right :P

Hmmm....you know.,...Christmas will be here before you know it (I KNOW I KNOW THAT'S INSANE) and these would be a fantastic gift. 

Assuming I can control myself from eating half of it by myself.

Chocolate Covered Potato Chips with Salted Caramel Drizzle

STOP IT!

Stop right now! You stop your thoughts of "Ew...chocolate covered potato chips??!" I am here to tell you that no...they are NOT gross. They are absolutely delicious (when done right). Let me tell you a little tale.

There have been a couple occasions are chocolate covered potato chips were presented to me. They were chips that were very thickly covered in a hunk of milk chocolate. And they were...meh. But I knew they had a greater potential. I knew they just weren't being executed correctly. I LOVE sweet + salty...and that's all this potato chip business is. So I knew that I would make my own chocolate covered potato chips...but I would use a thin layer of DARK chocolate (it gives a much nicer contrast and just tastes better) and add a salted caramel drizzle and sea salt...because...I mean...that just sounded great.

And so I waited.

I waited for the wedding to be over so I could make something sinful and decadent. I waited to make salted caramel sauce. And that day finally came last week. And so I made them. And they were GOOD.

Honestly...you barely taste the potato chip. It's just a little crunchy salty something underneath the rich dark chocolate and heavenly salted caramel. It may sound weird but...try them. You won't regret it. You'll just thank me as you shovel chip after chip into your face. Or fight with your husband over whether or not you or they should eat anymore because WHAT IF YOU EAT THEM ALL AND THEN THEY'RE GONE??!

Oh...maybe that's just at my house...

10 Recipes For Leftover Halloween Candy

Happy Halloween!!! Tis the season for adorable rugrats dressed in various fun costumes. The season for drunken college students and child-less adults to find the perfect (or the easiest) costume and partyyy. The season for Michael and I to be cranky because our perfect family (his family) costume idea* was foiled (by lack of participation from a couple members as well as lack of party for us to go to). Most importantly-the season for LOTS and LOOTS of candy! Whether you're collecting, handing out, or buying up the 50% off candy the day after---chances are...you've got some candy in your possession. Maybe...too much candy? Maybe you need something to do with that candy?

You're in luck! I've rounded up 10 recipes from the blog that are wonderful ways to incorporate your leftover candy...and really...just tasty in general. Any excuse to bake, if you ask me!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Cups

Remember how I told you that caramel and I are having a minute? Still true.

But...it might be more than a minute. Perhaps an hour?

Who am I kidding--I will love caramel FOREVAHHHH!

And one day I was just going about my life, probably working or something, and I was overcome by the craving for a good dark chocolate salted caramel candy. And I was like "I should totally make some." So, at my first opportunity, I made my best friend: salted caramel sauce (nnnngggg it is SO GOOD). Then I made these (after first spooning some into my mouth).

And do you know what my first thought upon eating one of these candies was?

"Hm...it's good but....they'd be better without the chocolate." So...essentially...I just wanted caramel. It's like I don't even know me anymore. HOWEVER--after I ate approximately 3 more I completely changed my mind and decided these were 100% perfect as is. Silly me, sometimes I just take some time to figure out how I feel about things (note that Michael is not an example of this, since he and I said "I love you" to each other 2 days in. I feel comfortable telling you this because you're my pals and also we've been together 5 years and are getting married, so obviously it all worked out :P)

Anyway, once I decided that these were the bestest, I couldn't gobble them up fast enough!

You have delicious dark chocolate (the higher quality the better!) and once you bite into it you're rewarded with gooey, sweet and salty and delightfully rich caramel. Irresistible. For serious. And really...pretty easy to make. Everyone is pleased about this, methinks.

Browned Butter Cookie Dough PB Cups-Guest Post at The Domestic Rebel

Hello my friends! Remember Hayley-that quirky, amazing, food genius also known as The Domestic Rebel?

Welllll-she's in NYC. WITHOUT ME. I know. I'm bummed.

Regardless, girlfriend needed some guest posts on her blog, and I was happy to oblige!

Only the tastiest will do for Hayley, and these Browned Butter Cookie Dough PB Cups fit the bill! Browned butter peanut butter cookie dough-super rich and completely addictive-is encased in our old friend, dark chocolate, and then topped with salt because...I mean...it's a good idea.

Michael and I ate these treats up in no time flat and I know you will fall in love with them too!

Head on over to The Domestic Rebel for the full post and the recipe!

Mint Cocoa Brownies

Poor Michael. I feel bad for him.

He never got to eat these brownies.

You see, these brownies were another thing I made in the time after he left for Ohio, but while I was still in NY. They were a "I have a bag of mint chocolate kisses in the freezer. I should use them up," sort of solution. I used my favorite simple brownie recipe (only uses cocoa powder but somehow they're so dense and chocolatey!), threw in some crushed mint chocolates and -TA DAAAA!

I gave some of these lovelies as gifts to my food blogger friends at my farewell dinner. I think they were worthy of such talented ladies.

And....I know it's summertime buuut....these would be pretty neat for the holidays.

BUT IT IS SUMMER-so you know what you should do??? Make these brownies and then top them with mint chocolate chip ice cream. WHA-BAM!

amazingness.

Chocolate and mint are such a delicious combo, and I feel like it makes you feel cooled down on a warm summer day. Especially if you freeze these beauties. Which you can totally do. They get almost fudge-like when frozen. It's pretty bangerang.*

*psst...didja click the link? Didja watch the youtube clip? Do you love Hook as much as I do? :P

Browned Butter Peanut Butter Cup Crunch Cookies with Sea Salt

Moving day is very quickly approaching. It's like stress levels to the max over here! My apartment is a mess of boxes and I'm just trying to keep calm and be ready for the fact that in 1 week...I'm gonna pack up and ship on out.

Emotional preparations aside, I also need to try to keep the stuff we have to bring with us to a minimum, so I've needed to do some pantry cleaning. That, my friends, is how these big, beautiful cookies were born.

I've had half a bag of crushed Butterfingers hanging out in my freezer since I made these and these. And I still had a good amount of mini peanut butter cups from this cookie recipe I made a little over a month ago. And those had to go! So I thought...hey...let's make some cookies. And I'll use that delicious cookie base recipe from Baker by Nature that I used for that cookie recipe I just mentioned-it's perfect for mix-ins! And...guys...they COULD NOT have turned out better!!

These are essentially a browned butter chocolate chip cookie base but...it straddles the line between that and a peanut butter cookie. I added a couple tablespoons of peanut butter to the dough-just enough to highlight the flavors of the butterfingers and peanut butter cups, but to still let that yummy browned butter/brown sugar flavor shine through!

And they are BIG, sturdy, chewy, gooey, perfectly textured, perfectly delicious cookies. They'd be perfect to give or send someone as a gift. PLUS-they're pretttyyy, just look at those crackly tops! I DIE over crackly tops!

And the taste aghhhh! You bite in and you get the crunchy toffee-peanut butter flavor of the Butterfingers throughout, and these awesome chunks of a bigger chocolate peanut butter punch from the pb cups, and there's the complexity of the browned butter and that hint of peanut butter that lingers...and...of course...there's sea salt (I used some gorgeously large cyprus flakes). Sweet and salty allll the way!

Fun story: I had a giant cookie at a restaurant recently and all I could think the whole time I ate it was how much better it would've been with salt on top. I am an addict.

Brown Butter Salted Pretzel and Toffee Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Cookies

 

You know how there are cupcake bakeries (and now like doughnut ones too)? I sort of have a dream of having a cookie bakery. And by dream I mean...it sounds great in theory but then when I think about the amount of work, and the business stuffs, and being someone's boss....ugh. But I love the idea of baking and selling people cookies! Why can't life just be simple like that, hm? 

Anyway, this comes up because these cookies would be PERFECT to sell at a cookie bakery. They're big, they're chewy, they're full of yummy deliciousness, they're sturdy, and-oh yeah-they're pretty! Look at those cute little pretzels on top of cookies! Adorbs. Heck, they're lovely even sans pretzel. (Because that pretzel is, in fact, entirely optional.) What is not optional, however, is the salt. I mean...I guess it is. But...cmon...haven't you realized by now how MIRACULOUS sea salt sprinkled on cookies is??! IT'S WONDEROUS!

Anyway, let me break down this explosion of cookie deliciousness right heeere: browned butter. 2 sticks of it. Mandatory. Lots of toffee bits (I'm obsessed with toffee lately). Maybe some chocolate chips (if your toffee bits are naked-AKA sans chocolate-as mine were). Some little chopped up pieces of salty pretzels. Oh and a peanut butter cup surprise stuffed in the middle. And sea salt sprinkled on top of all 'o' that.

!!!

It's like a taste-bud adventure. Each bite of this cookie is completely new and different, and awesome! 

Michael and I both agree that the pb cup is really not necessary-but then, we're sort of on a kick where browned butter and toffee and salt are really all we need in a cookie. We need to force variety upon ourselves, however, and the pb cups ARE a tasty little treat inside.

I am guilty of eating a minimum of 3 of these cookies for every day that we had them, until they ran out.

....my plan to not be fat for my wedding is not off to a great start.

...whatever. WORTH IT!

Nutella "Candy" Bars

Can you remember the first time you tried Nutella (or some kind of chocolate hazelnut spread)?

I can.

I was living in Brooklyn with my soon-to-be estranged roommates, but at this stage we were still getting along. One of these girls had a container of nutella and told me to try it, and I was hesitant. Like "umm...I don't think I like hazelnuts." (WHAT? I LOVE HAZELNUTS! Stupid past Kayle) But I tried it because...well...chocolate. And then I was like "Oh this pretty much just tastes like chocolate." (IS YOUR PALATE SO UNREFINED PAST KAYLE?! CAN'T YOU TASTE THE DIFFERENCE?!)

Anyway, so, I ate more of it over time, and my love grew and grew. The end.

Anyway. These bars. They've got a serious punch of chocolate hazelnutty flavor. 

But, for me anyway, they were meessssyyy. So ya know, keep that in mind. I was going to give a few of these to my aunt, but by the time I got them to her, they were so mushed she literally thought they WERE my homemade chocolate hazelnut butter. I had to inform her that they used to be candy bars. Oops.

Whatevs. Still tasty. Very sweet but very tasty and crunchy!

2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house...

ALL the creatures were stirring like crazy except not a mousebecausemicearegrossandI'mneverlivinginaplacewithmiceagain!

YOUGUYSYOUGUYSYOUGUUUUYYYS!!
Tomorrow I'm going to DIIIIIISNEY WORLD! And in 1 week it's CHRISTMAS!
eeeeee so much excitement is happening!

Tomorrow I'll fly down to Disney, where I'll meet up with my mom, brother, godmother, and her 2 daughters (they'll have just gotten off a Disney cruise) and then we'll spend 2 1/2 days in Disney!  THEN we'll all drive back to Ohio for Christmastimes. It's gonna be insane and crazy and busy and fun and AMAZING!

Now, obviously we're not all going to Disney World tomorrow. But, no matter where you are, I'm sure all of us Christmas celebrators are pretty. darn. BUSY right about now! And a lot of that business is in the holiday tradition of baking. Baking cookies, especially. Whether they're for you, your family, co-workers, Santa, all of the above and more, there's a lot going on. So, I'm here to give you pretty much the easiest, simplest, and tastiest little cookie recipe. PERFECT for your holiday baking!

Ya ready for this?

Reese's peanut butter cups. And an egg. 

THAT'S IT. You process some Reese's, mix em with the egg, then bake yourself up some cookies!

SO EASY!

And then...ya know...if you're like me...you sprinkle some beautiful sea salt on top.

And then imagine you're a little kid again and all you want to do is ask Santa for more cookies, please.

These cookies are big, crisp, sturdy (important when you're traveling with cookies and/or giving/sending them as gifts), full of delicious peanut butter/chocolate flavor, chewy, and just mmmmm. 

I estimate about a bjillion of you will now drop everything and go bake these cookies. And then give them to peoples. And then those peoples will worship the ground you walk on. Yes. This shall come to pass.

Butterfinger Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Halloween is officially over. Which means lots and LOTS of leftover candy. Am I right?

When I was a little trick or treating Kayle (whether I was a brunette Barbie, the Queen of Hearts, I Dream of Jeannie, or whatever I was) I obviously played favorites with my candy. Any purely sugary candy (such as dots, smarties, etc.) were given to my mom and/or brother, Crunch bars also went to my brother (his fave). 

But if there was chocolate and peanut butter: THEY WERE MINE.

In particular....I would hoard my Reese's and Butterfingers as if I were Gollum and they were my preciouses.

I would legitimately have my Halloween bucket hidden under my bed with a large supply of these favorite candies, hopefully enough to last me until Christmas. Even as a young child...I was a planner. No OD'ing on candy in one night for me, oh no, I thought further ahead. I thought to myself, "What about future Kayle...Kayle 1 month from now....she might want herself some candies."

I was a considerate little lady.

But...now I'm like a grown up. And life is different. And I can no longer just hide candy under my bed. You may feel the same. And sometimes....we need to use up some of the candy (*gasp* I know! Children, cover your eyes!) But seriously....there is not better way to use up some of those delicious, peanut buttery, crunchy, Butterfingers than in these cookies. I got TONS of rave reviews for these babies, Michael even said they may be a new favorite. And who can blame him? We've got these puffy, chewy, peanut butter cookies with an awesome bit of texture from the quick oats, loaded with chunks of BUTTERFINGERS! Oh and they stay ridiculously soft for like...ever. Or at least for a long time. They seriously just keep getting better with age sooo....like...attempt to not eat them all right away.

Nobody better lay a finger of my Butterfinger...cookies.

If you need me, I'll be hiding any leftover cookies under my bed.

Old habits die hard.

Salted Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

There's fancy, and then there's fancy. These truffles were pretty amped up to begin with but I maaay have taken them to the next level. Oh yeah.

But I'm getting ahead of myself (as I've been known to do).

Obviously, I love cookie dough. And I love cookie dough truffles. But THESE...are just like, in a league of their own.

First...you brown butter. And that butter is not alone. Oh no. While you're browning the butter, there are also vanilla beans in there. If you think brown butter smells amazing...I can't even begin to explain how PHENOMENAL browned butter and vanilla beans smell. It's like...the best smell ever. I wanna bottle it. And wear it....of course then I'd be hungry all day...hmmm.

Anyway, then you make a fairly classic, eggless, chocolate chip cookie dough with that browned butter (and there's some heavy cream in there too...in case it wasn't rich enough before). BUT I added the delicious twist of, instead of chocolate chips, I folded TCHO's chocolate covered cocoa nibs into the dough. This was Michael's favorite part.

And then you coat the little perfect dough balls in dark chocolate and sprinkle coarse sea salt on top.

Perfecto!

The first bite is....dare I say...foodgasmic (it's the best word to describe it).

Just like...the most rich, sweet, salty, flavor explosion.

I can't even get over how amazing these were. 

But, I was worried they'd be too much for Michael, that he wouldn't like them as much or something. But he totally fell in love too. His first bite, I could tell from his face, pretty much changed his life. And he loved the crunch from the cocoa nibs. And ever since, he hasn't been able to stop talking about them. Me either.

Just...stop. Stop reading. Run and make these. You simply must.